Calibrations
by LodgeWitch
Summary: A series of one-shots featuring Shepard and Garrus. Please note that the Shepard in these stories may differ in appearance or name on occasion and there's also no real chronological order to the chapters unless stated in the notes
1. Chapter 1

**CALIBRATIONS**  
A collection of one shots featuring Garrus and Shepard.  
_(please note that the Shepard in these stories may differ in appearance or name on occasion and there's also no real chronological order to the chapters unless stated in the notes)_  
**.::. .::. .::.**  
****DISCLAIMER****  
I do not own anything from the Mass Effect game series (unfortunately) but BioWare does.  
Damn them.  
I'm just borrowing their characters for fun when my muse grabs me.  
**.::. .::. .::.**

**CHASING CARS**  
**_"if I lay here, if I just lay here…would you lie with me and just forget the world?" _**  
_(written for asininejinx on Tumblr and featuring her Shepard– thanks for the prompt!) _  
_-set after the Leviathan DLC from Mass Effect 3 and before the Citadel "date" with Garrus; possible spoilers included-_

Emma Shepard walked slowly towards the Main Battery of the Normandy, each step taking her closer to the verbal ass-kicking she knew she was about to receive.  
She paused in front of the door, taking her time and hoping quietly that the person behind the door would just go easy on her.

"Yeah, right…" she half-chuckled, half-snorted and with a certain defiance settling around her shoulders so palmed the entry button for the door and walked inside. The door swooshed open and despite knowing that she was in for some trouble, Shepard couldn't help but smile at the sight of her turian lover idly checking the monitor on his desk.

As the door closed, Garrus turned and fixed her with a cool stare, arms folded in the universal sign of '_I don't want any of your bullshit right now_'.  
Shepard swallowed and tried to smile brightly at the stern figure she was facing, glancing at the floor when the smile failed to reach him.

"What. Were. You. Thinking?" His voice was quiet, clipped and dangerous; sending a shiver through her spine that she hoped she had hidden, "you just decided that today was the day to go deep sea diving in what was little more than an Atlas mech? You could've DIED Shepard!"  
"I know," she said, in little more than a whisper.  
"That's all you have to say? I nearly lost you – AGAIN!"  
"I'm sorry, Garrus," Shepard reached out tentatively; "I had to do it, I had no other option."  
"You had the option to NOT DO IT!"  
"You know how important that intel was to the mission…"  
"I don't give a DAMN! Do you know how worried I was out there? NOTHING is worth more than your life, not to me."

Shepard could hear the anger and frustration in his voice, could feel it coming off of him in hot waves like a powerful aura; his sub-harmonics were going crazy signaling how upset he truly was.  
She took a small step towards him, her hand closing around his wrist and his eyes jerked up to meet hers.

"I didn't know, Garrus," she whispered; "if I had…if I'd known…"  
"Known what?" he muttered, "known that you mean more to me than the entire galaxy?"

His admission sent a wave of shame through her. Sure, she knew that their relationship was special, that it meant something to both of them; but to hear it out loud shook her somewhat.  
They had both danced around using the "L" word to each other; they had teased each other about it and endured merciless teasing from the others aboard the Normandy but there had never seemed a right time to just come out with it – Shepard felt that it needed more than just a passing comment. Unable to put any of her thoughts into a coherent sentence; she instead reached up and stroked his scarred cheek tenderly, hoping that at least some of what she felt would be transferred in touch.

"Emma…" Garrus' voice dropped to a quiet rumble as his eyes closed briefly; "please…just…never do that again."  
"I make no promises," she chuckled.  
"Hm," he huffed, "indulge your crazy, overprotective boyfriend just this once?"

Shepard smiled, tilting her head up and brushing a light kiss to his mouth, "boyfriend, huh?"  
"Yeah," he almost purred; "is that...not what…..ah, hm…"  
"Relax, big guy. Boyfriend is just fine by me," she slowly slid her arms around his waist and rested her head against his chest.  
"I haven't forgiven you yet, you know," he rumbled; wrapping his arms around her.  
"How about I make it up to you? We have shore leave coming up and I'm sure I could convince Joker to make a stop to that place I have on Intai'sei. We could have dinner, spend some time together?"  
"That sounds perfect."

**.::. .::. .::.**

The smell of food drifted through the open French windows and Garrus took in an appreciative breath.  
The fact that Shepard could cook was just another new fact he had learned about her that surprised him.  
After assuring him that she had picked up food that wouldn't make him unwell, she had given him a glass of Parthian brandy, on the rocks – exactly how he liked it – and ushered him onto the back deck to relax while she cooked.  
Although he wouldn't admit it – out loud and to her face, anyway – he found the idea of Shepard in the role of doting housewife quite alluring and occasionally tipped back in his chair to watch her bustling about with various pans and utensils.

He puffed out a laugh to himself and turned his attention to the view.  
The sun was setting low on the horizon, casting a fiery orange glow over the desert that stretched out in front of the apartment for miles. A faint hum could be heard in the distance; from the turbines of one of the wind farms still in operation and a light breeze whispered along the ground; stirring up drifts of sand into miniature whirlwinds.

"Hey," a fresh glass of brandy appeared in front of Garrus' face and he tilted his head back, flaring his mandibles in a grin.  
"Hey yourself," he replied and pulled her into his lap; "how's it going in there?"  
"You tell me, it's ready now," Shepard grinned, kissed his cheek and walked back inside; returning moments later with two plates of amazing smelling food.

Garrus looked at his plate and then back up at Shepard in surprise, "you made me _kheelie_ and _sradis_ root? But that's…how did…?"  
"How did I know it was your favorite? I may have sent a message to your sister."  
"You talked to Solana?!" Garrus looked up in alarm, a forkful of food halfway to his mouth.  
"Relax, Garrus," she laughed; "I said that I wanted to do something for the crew that would cheer them up and that you were the only one I was having trouble picking up food for. She was happy to help."  
"I can't believe you did that, Emma. I would've been happy with _olorae_ eggs and _panis_, you know."

Shepard merely smiled and picked up an asparagus spear, nibbling at it delicately, "I made dessert too – it's a cake made with _dulglyci_."

Garrus just groaned.

**.::. .::. .::.**

Shepard was leaning on the railings that ran around the back deck, looking out at the night sky and the shadows that played over the desert floor.  
She closed her eyes, trying to savor the evening before heading back to the Normandy – and the war – the next morning.  
A pair of arms slid around her waist and she felt Garrus nuzzle into her neck tenderly. She sighed and leaned back against him.

"Thank you," he murmured; "this evening was…perfect."  
"It really was," she agreed; "I'm glad I had chance to do this with you. Not sure we'll get chance to relax much now."  
"Hm," Garrus shook his head, "I'll make sure we do, Emma. You need to rest more than anyone."  
"I don't think I'll have much choice, Garrus. I've been told the galaxy needs me."  
"Yeah and so do I," he turned her in his arms and smoothed her hair gently, "more than you know."

Shepard rested her head against his shoulder and just listened to his breathing, wanting nothing more than to just stay in her hard-won apartment surrounded by miles and miles of beautiful unspoiled desert wrapped in the arms of her turian lover; the man that she loved fiercely and completely and couldn't tell him, couldn't get the words to form or push them past her lips.

"Can we stay here?" she whispered, so quietly he barely heard her; "can we just forget the rest of the galaxy and the war and the death and destruction and just stay here?"  
"I would happily do that," his mandible twitched slightly against her hair in a small, sad smile; "but I know you, _mi'hera_."

Shepard looked up at him, confused; "what did you just call me?"  
"Ah," he chuckled softly, "guess our translators don't pick up everything, huh?"

Garrus took a breath and let it out slowly. To explain the meaning of the word would be akin to admitting just how deeply he cared for her and as much as he wanted to just awkwardly blurt it out and have done with it; to him she deserved more than a few rushed words.  
He looked down at her, his beautiful girl; his best friend and his lover and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear before running his talons through the silky reddish strands.

She smiled, a half-smile that just tugged the corner of her mouth upwards and moved away, turning to look at him; "let's go to bed, Garrus. We have to be up early for our pickup."  
"Sure," he nodded; "I'll be there in a minute."

She nodded and disappeared inside the apartment.  
Garrus felt almost immediately lost without her by his side and wished that he had had the courage to tell her that it was exactly where he wanted her to be – for as long as they had left; until the very end.

"I love you," he murmured and the words were taken out of his mouth, out of his heart and away into the night sky to shimmer among the stars until he could gather them give them his fierce and beautiful Shepard.

**.::. .::. .::.**


	2. Chapter 2

**CALIBRATIONS**  
A collection of one shots featuring Garrus and Shepard.  
(please note that the Shepard in these stories may differ in appearance or name on occasion and there's also no real chronological order to the chapters unless stated in the notes)  
**.::. .::. .::.**  
****DISCLAIMER****  
I do not own anything from the Mass Effect game series (unfortunately) but BioWare does.  
Damn them.  
I'm just borrowing their characters for fun when my muse grabs me.  
**.::. .::. .::.**

**OBJECTION (TANGO)**  
_"I got dizzy dancing tango…I'm falling apart in your hands again…"_

_Based on an anonymous prompt on Tumblr:_  
_'I'd love to see a different take on the tango scene from the Citadel DLC where Shepard isn't embarrassed to dance with Garrus because she'd taken lessons while she'd been relieved of duty.'_

**.::. .::. .::.**

_Chirp-chirp-chirp._

Shepard looked up from the seemingly endless stream of paperwork and datapads that were strewn over her desk at the sound of her omni-tool pinging softly.  
With a sigh, she checked the incoming message, dreading its contents – she'd had more than enough emergencies and requests that had been pouring in despite the fact that she (along with the rest of her crew) were on a much needed break while the Normandy was undergoing maintenance and repair.

_J,_  
_You're on shore leave – stop doing paperwork and take some down time._  
_Meet me at the bar on the Silver Strip. That's an order, woman._  
_G x_

Shepard couldn't help the smile that was spreading across her lips. How Garrus always knew that she needed cheering up was beyond her; but she was more than thankful for it. Another ping drew her attention and she looked down at the new message.

_Wear that dress. You know which one I mean._

The instruction made her shake her head with a soft chuckle and she made her way up to the bedroom she had claimed as hers in the ridiculously oversized apartment that Anderson had generously donated to her and opened the closet doors.  
The hem of that dress peeked out at her and she pulled it out, lips pursing.  
It was a nice dress, certainly, but not really something she would ever wear. Kasumi, Tali and Liara had had to practically force her to buy it.

A deep blue with a fitted bodice that laced at the back and a skirt that flared out at the waist, the dress was a total knockout, but Shepard felt a little uncomfortable in something so…flirty and girly.  
A frown creased her brow and her omni-tool pinged again.

_And stop frowning at it!_

A laugh bubbled past Shepards lips and she rolled her eyes. He knew her far too well.

"Well," she muttered to herself, "if I'm wearing this, I may as well go all out. I'm gonna need some help."

She fired off a message and waited for the cavalry to arrive.

**.::. .::. .::.**

Garrus leaned against the bar, tumbler of Parthian brandy in one hand and sharp eyes on the stairs. He had arrived early, scoped out the dance floor and drinks menu and settled in to wait for his date; hoping that his request had been taken into consideration.  
He raised his glass and took a swallow, near choking as a familiar figure walked slowly up the stairs.

_Spirits_, he thought, _she looks…_

"Woah, is that Commander Shepard?" the bartender whistled long and low, "who knew _that_ was hiding under all the armor?"

Garrus shot a glare at the suddenly far-too-attentive bartender and moved towards Shepard, wrapping an arm around her waist and tugging her close.

She had, indeed worn **that** dress and had drawn the laces at the back tighter than usual which accentuated her waist in a way that made Garrus' mouth go dry.  
She was wearing heels that made her legs look even longer; her deep red hair pinned up with loose tendrils framing her face and she had even applied a little makeup – her green eyes looked smoky and alluring and her full lips were rosy and begged to be kissed.

"I…" Garrus cleared his throat, swallowed the rest of his drink and tried again, "you look beautiful."  
"Thanks," she smiled and pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek, "so, I'm guessing you had something in mind for tonight?"  
"I thought we could have a few drinks and see where the night takes us," Garrus looked down at her; still reeling slightly from how incredible she looked.

To him, she was always beautiful – in battle she was fierce and a force to be reckoned with, flame-red hair flying around her face and bright green eyes flashing with excitement. In her down time she was quiet and relaxed, fierceness giving way to a serenity that made her eyes sparkle and her lips quirk in a fraction of a smile and in their private moments together she had a certain fragility to her that took his breath away.  
Right now, she was a mix of fierce and relaxed; confusion across her brow and a half-smile on her lips as she tucked her arm through his.  
They ordered drinks and Shepard perched on a bar stool, sipping a wonderfully girly looking cocktail as Garrus idly traced a lazy circle over her shoulder with a talon.

"So what do you normally do with shore leave?" Shepard asked after a moment.  
"Hm, turians generally use it to go over strategy, techniques and keep ourselves fit. I assumed humans did the same, but…" He cast an eye over the throng of people dancing and drinking.  
"Some of us do, some of us go out and let loose and some of us busy ourselves with paperwork," Shepard chuckled and Garrus shook his head at her.  
"You needed a break, that's why I asked you to meet me," he curved his hand over her hip and began gently propelling her to the dance floor.  
"What are you doing, Garrus?"  
"Oh, nothing," his reply was clearly aiming for nonchalance and failing miserably, "just thought you might like to dance with your boyfriend."

Shepards dancing skills, or rather lack thereof, were legendary among the crew of the Normandy. She was constantly teased for what had been affectionately nicknamed the "Shepard Shuffle" and her complete inability to move with any degree of grace or rhythm were the source of many, many jokes.

Garrus stopped moving and looked at her, fully prepared for her to decline and make her way back to the bar but to his surprise she grinned mischievously and took his hand.  
His brow plates rose in shock, his mandible flaring in a smile and he spun her under his arm; bringing her close to his body as he curved his arm around her waist and took her other hand.

The music changed from a pounding dance track to a sultry tango-style piece that slithered slowly up Shepards spine and made her heart rap out a beat in time.  
Garrus picked up the beat quickly and led her round the dance floor in a formal routine that made her arch an eyebrow in surprise.

"I'm impressed, Vakarian, where did you learn to tango?"  
"There's a lot you don't know about me, Shepard," he murmured in her ear as he twirled her in his arms.

She leaned back against his body, back arched as one arm curled around his carapace and brushed her fingertips ever so lightly across the tip of his fringe.  
As quick as the touch came, her arm moved away and she swayed her hips, shimmying down his body and back up; spinning on the balls of her feet to face him again.

"Likewise," she purred and with a grin raised her leg up against his; her foot hooking around the spur of his leg in an action she knew was considered flirtatious among turian mates.  
Garrus' eyes dilated at the action and a low, throaty growl rumbled through him. Shepard smirked as both his arms went around her, hands clasped at her back as he leant backwards and took her with him; her body pressed flush to his.

A murmur went through the crowd that had gathered around the dance floor and, as Garrus moved them both into a standing position, Shepard twisted gracefully and bent backwards over his arm; back arched and head thrown back exposing her throat in a gesture that was almost painfully erotic to Garrus.

The crowd burst into frantic applause and Shepard blinked, cheeks flushed and eyes glittering; Garrus' mandible flaring wildly in the biggest approximation of a smile Shepard had ever seen him wear.

"Where the hell did you learn to do that?" He asked as they left the dance floor.  
"One of the lieutenants that was tasked with keeping an eye on me while I was relieved of duty could dance so I asked her for a few pointers," a smile curved her lips as she added, "I thought it might come in useful one day."  
"Oh it did," Garrus purred against her ear; "so…do these new found skills translate into other areas?"

Shepard raised one eyebrow and smiled seductively before heading to the stairs that led to the main part of the casino and, ultimately, out to her apartment.  
At the top of the stairs, she stopped and glanced at Garrus over her shoulder, beckoning him to follow her with a slow motion of her forefinger and sauntered away with a casual roll of her hips.

Garrus hesitated for a fraction of a second while his mind ran through the endless meanings that that one action promised and then all but ran to catch her.


End file.
